Travis Pastrana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Travis Pastrana
Pastrana at Daytona International Speedway in 2023
Born	Travis Alan Pastrana (1983-10-08) October 8, 1983 (age 42) Annapolis, Maryland, U.S.
Starts	5
Championships	1
Wins	2
Championship titles
Nitro Rallycross American Rally Association Rally America AMA Supercross 125cc AMA Motocross 125cc
NASCAR Cup Series career
1 race run over 1 year
2023 position	37th
Best finish	37th (2023)
First race	2023 Daytona 500 (Daytona)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
42 races run over 2 years
2013 position	14th
Best finish	14th (2013)
First race	2012 Virginia 529 College Savings 250 (Richmond)
Last race	2013 Ford EcoBoost 300 (Homestead)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 4 1
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series career
8 races run over 6 years
Truck no., team	No. 42 (Niece Motorsports) No. 25 (Kaulig Racing)
2020 position	51st
Best finish	51st (2020)
First race	2012 Smith's 350 (Las Vegas)
Last race	2026 North Carolina Education Lottery 200 (Charlotte)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0
Statistics current as of May 24, 2026.
Travis Pastrana Sport Sport Rally, Motocross, freeride mountain biking, BASE jumping, NASCAR, monster truck freestyle Event(s) X Games, Gravity Games, Red Bull X-Fighters, Dew Tour, Rally America

Travis Alan Pastrana, born on October 8, 1983, is an amazing American athlete. He is famous for being super good at many different extreme sports. These include freestyle motocross, rally racing, NASCAR, and performing incredible stunts.

Travis became well-known in the early 2000s. He won many gold medals at the X Games. He also achieved many firsts in freestyle motocross, like being the first to land a double backflip in a competition in 2006. Before his freestyle career, Travis was a successful motorcycle racer. He won championships in the AMA Motocross and Supercross 125cc races in 2000 and 2001.

Beyond motorcycles, Travis Pastrana is a four-time Rally America champion. He has also competed in Global Rallycross and even appeared in NASCAR races. In 2022, he became a world champion in powerboat racing with Steve Curtis. In 2003, Travis helped start Nitro Circus. This is an entertainment company that creates live shows, TV series, and movies filled with extreme stunts and action sports. Travis has also done many other famous stunts, including recreating some of the legendary Evel Knievel's daring feats.

Travis Pastrana's Amazing Career

Motorcycle Racing Adventures

Travis Pastrana started his professional motorcycle racing career in the AMA Motocross Championship in 1999. He quickly showed his talent! In 2000, he won the 125cc national title, becoming the youngest champion ever at just 16 years old.

In 2001, Travis also won the 125cc East Coast title in the AMA Supercross Championship. He raced in the bigger 250cc class for a few years after that. In 2023, Travis was honored for his achievements and was welcomed into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

Team Puerto Rico's Special Rider

Travis's father was born in Puerto Rico, which meant Travis could race for Team Puerto Rico in international events. He got a special license to represent the territory.

His first race with Team Puerto Rico was in 2008. He did great, even finishing third in the finals! In 2018, Travis joined Team Puerto Rico again for the Motocross of Nations. This time, he raced with his friends Kevin Windham and Ryan Sipes. They wanted to help raise money and awareness after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017. All three riders made it to the main event, which was a big success!

Freestyle Motocross: Tricks and Triumphs

Travis Pastrana was already doing amazing stunts during motocross races when he was just thirteen. At fourteen, he won the World Freestyle Motocross Championship! This started a winning streak that lasted until 2003.

After winning a gold medal at the X Games in 1999, Travis also won gold at the very first Gravity Games. He went on to win five gold medals at the Gravity Games between 1999 and 2006.

X Games Highlights

Travis has had many memorable moments at the X Games:

• 1999 – He won the very first MotoX Freestyle event. He earned an amazing score of 99.00 points, which was the highest ever!
• 2000 – Travis won his second MotoX Freestyle gold. He tried his first-ever backflip on a motorcycle but got hurt.
• 2001 – He won his third gold medal in MotoX Freestyle.
• 2003 – Travis earned his fourth gold. He was also the second rider to complete a 360-degree spin in a competition.
• 2004 – He tried a 50-foot 360 and had a crash, but still won a silver medal the next day! He also won a bronze medal for Best Trick.
• 2005 – Travis won his fifth gold medal in Freestyle. He also tried a super difficult "Backflip Barspin" trick.
• 2006 – This was a huge year! Travis won three gold medals in one X Games event. He won for MotoX Best Trick, MotoX Freestyle, and Rally Car Racing. He also made history by performing the first-ever double backflip in competition!
• 2007 – He earned a bronze medal in Rally Car Racing.
• 2008 – Travis won another gold medal in Rally Car Racing.
• 2009 – He tried a "rodeo 720" trick but had a crash. He later successfully landed this trick, calling it the "TP7." He also won a silver medal in Rally.
• 2010 – Travis won Moto X Freestyle again, landing another double backflip! He also won Moto X Speed & Style.
• 2011 – Travis planned a huge event called "Pastranathon." During a Best Trick attempt, he had an accident and broke his foot and ankle. Even with his injury, his team helped him compete in RallyCross using special hand controls!
• 2012 – Travis challenged rally champion Sébastien Loeb to a RallyCross race. Unfortunately, Travis had an early accident and couldn't finish.
• 2015 – Travis tried out Stadium Super Trucks racing at the X Games.

Rally Racing: Speed on Dirt and Gravel

Pastrana's Subaru Impreza WRX STI.

In 2003, Travis Pastrana started his rallying career at the Race of Champions. By 2004, he was driving for the Subaru-backed Vermont SportsCar rally team.

In 2006, Subaru chose Travis to lead their new Subaru Rally Team USA. He had a co-driver named Christian Edstrom. On August 5, 2006, Travis won a gold medal in the first-ever rally car competition at the X Games! He beat the famous Colin McRae by a tiny amount of time. Later that month, Travis and Christian won their first Rally America National series race. They went on to win the overall championship that year, making Travis the youngest American rally champion ever!

In September 2008, Travis raced in Scotland at the Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally. He drove a classic Ford Escort Mk1 with Derek Ringer as his co-driver. This event honored Colin McRae, who had passed away in 2007.

On August 29, 2009, Travis won the Ojibwe Forests Rally. This victory helped him secure his fourth Rally America driver's title in a row, which was a record!

In 2011, Travis started competing in the Global RallyCross Championship. He even won a race in New Hampshire in 2012. In 2020, Travis created the Nitro Rallycross series. He built a special test track near his home. He won two races and became the 2021 champion!

In 2024, Travis took a break from the Olympus rally to get treatment for old injuries. He later confirmed he would race in the 2025 Race of Champions in Australia.

International Rally Competitions

Pastrana, Colin McRae and Ken Block at X Games XIII.

In 2006, Subaru Rally Team USA announced that Travis would compete in some World Rally Championship (WRC) events.

In 2007, he raced in three P-WRC events. He finished fifth in his class at the Rally México, which was the best finish by an American in a WRC event in a long time!

Pastrana driving a classic Ford Escort Mk1 at the 2008 Colin McRae Forest Stages.

NASCAR: From Dirt to Pavement Tracks

Pastrana's No. 99 at Richmond in April 2012

Pastrana during driver intros at Road America in 2013

Pastrana's No. 60 at Road America in 2013

Travis Pastrana started racing in NASCAR in 2011. He first competed in the Toyota All-Star Showdown. He later formed a team called Pastrana-Waltrip Racing.

In 2012, Travis made his debut in the Nationwide Series (now called the Xfinity Series). He raced in several events, with his best finish being thirteenth. He also made one start in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series that year.

In 2013, Travis raced a full season in the Nationwide Series. He earned four top-ten finishes and even won his first-ever pole position at Talladega Superspeedway!

In November 2013, Travis announced he would be leaving NASCAR. He explained that he wanted to spend more time with his family and felt he hadn't quite mastered pavement racing. However, he did say he might race in some Truck Series events in the future.

He returned to the Truck Series for single races in 2015, 2017, and 2020. In 2020, he made more than one Truck Series start in a season for the first time.

Pastrana at the Daytona 500

On January 17, 2023, it was announced that Travis would try to qualify for the famous Daytona 500 race with the 23XI Racing team. He successfully made it into the race! During the Daytona 500, Travis even led a lap by accident during a pit stop cycle. On the final lap, he was involved in a multi-car crash but still finished an impressive eleventh place. After the race, Travis said he achieved all his goals for the event.

Powerboat Racing: Conquering the Waves

Travis expanded his racing skills to offshore powerboat racing in 2020. He joined the Miss GEICO Racing Team. In 2022, he and his teammate Steve Curtis won the Class 1 World Championship title!

In early 2023, Travis decided to reduce his powerboat racing to focus on his family and other racing. However, he still participates in some races, like the Powerboat P1 Sarasota Grand Prix in July 2023.

Other Exciting Races and Challenges

Pastrana at the 2014 Mount Washington Hillclimb

In June 2010, Travis raced in a charity dirt track race at Eldora Speedway.

In September 2010, Travis set a world record for the fastest climb up Mount Washington in a car! He drove his Subaru WRX STi up the mountain in just 6 minutes, 20.47 seconds. He broke his own record in July 2017, and then again in August 2021, with an incredible time of 5 minutes, 28.67 seconds!

Travis also competed in the 2012 24 Hours of Daytona sports car race. In October 2014, he competed in the Red Bull Straight Rhythm competition on a special motorcycle he called the "RM-Zilla."

In February 2024, Travis joined the Extreme E electric off-road racing series. He raced for Legacy Motor Club in the first two rounds of the season.

Nitro Circus: Extreme Stunts and Fun

In 2009, Travis's TV show, Nitro Circus, premiered on MTV. Travis was an executive producer for the show. It was similar to MTV's Jackass and featured Travis and his friends doing many dangerous and exciting stunts.

The show included amazing athletes like Jolene Van Vugt, Erik Roner, and Andy Bell. Famous people like Johnny Knoxville and Gary Coleman even made guest appearances!

More Incredible Stunts and Records

Travis also made his debut in Monster Jam in 2006, driving a monster truck called "Pastrana 199." Later, this truck was renamed "Nitro Circus." Travis himself competed in the freestyle part of the event. In 2010, another driver successfully performed a backflip in the Nitro Circus monster truck, making history!

On September 26, 2007, Travis did an amazing, carefully planned stunt. He jumped out of an airplane over Arecibo, Puerto Rico, without a parachute! He met another jumper in midair and attached himself to a harness for a safe landing.

On January 1, 2010, Travis set a new world record for a ramp-to-ramp car jump. He jumped his Subaru rally car 269 feet over water in Long Beach, California! To celebrate, he did a backflip into the harbor.

Honoring Evel Knievel

Travis Pastrana greatly admired the legendary daredevil Evel Knievel. Travis decided to honor him by breaking some of his records. On July 8, 2018, in Las Vegas, Nevada, Travis successfully completed three record-breaking jumps. He jumped over 52 cars, then 16 buses, and finally, a fountain. These jumps covered a total of 484 feet in one night!

The jump over the Caesars Palace Fountain was especially meaningful. Evel Knievel himself had tried this jump in 1967 but crashed. Travis successfully landed it, performing it with even more height! These incredible feats were shown live on the History TV channel.

Travis Pastrana's Journey with Injuries

Travis Pastrana has had many injuries throughout his career because of the extreme sports he loves. He once said, "I don't remember most of the injuries, there have been too many."

When Travis was 14, he had a very serious injury during a freestyle motocross competition. He landed badly after a jump, which caused a severe back injury. He was in a wheelchair for three months. Doctors said it was a very rare injury, and few people survive it. Despite the difficult recovery, Travis was determined to keep jumping motorcycles.

In July 2011, he was injured at the X Games when his motorcycle didn't land correctly, causing a foot and ankle fracture. In 2022, Travis was seriously injured again while BASE jumping and broke his pelvis. Despite these challenges, Travis always shows incredible determination to recover and continue his passions.

Competition Records

X Games Medals

GOLD (11) SILVER (4) BRONZE (2)

Year	X Games	Events	Rank	Medal
1999	Summer X Games V	Moto X Freestyle	1st
2000	Summer X Games VI	Moto X Step Up	8th
2000	Summer X Games VI	Moto X Freestyle	1st
2001	Summer X Games VII	Moto X Freestyle	1st
2001	Summer X Games VII	Moto X Step Up	2nd
2001	Summer X Games VII	Moto X Big Air	10th
2003	Summer X Games IX	Moto X Freestyle	1st
2004	Summer X Games X	Moto X Best Trick	3rd
2004	Summer X Games X	Supermoto	17th
2004	Summer X Games X	Moto X Freestyle	2nd
2005	Summer X Games XI	Moto X Best Trick	2nd
2005	Summer X Games XI	Moto X Freestyle	1st
2005	Summer X Games XI	Supermoto	8th
2006	Summer X Games XII	Moto X Best Trick	1st
2006	Summer X Games XII	Rally Car Racing	1st
2006	Summer X Games XII	Supermoto	10th
2006	Summer X Games XII	Moto X Freestyle	1st
2007	Summer X Games XIII	Moto X Racing
2007	Summer X Games XIII	Rally Car Racing	3rd
2008	Summer X Games XIV	Moto X Speed & Style	6th
2008	Summer X Games XIV	Rally Car Racing	1st
2009	Summer X Games XV	Moto X Best Trick	4th
2009	Summer X Games XV	Rally Car Racing	2nd
2010	Summer X Games XVI	Moto X Freestyle	1st
2010	Summer X Games XVI	Moto X Speed & Style	1st
2010	Summer X Games XVI	RallyCross
2011	Summer X Games XVII	Moto X Best Trick	7th
2011	Summer X Games XVII	RallyCross	4th
2012	Summer X Games XVIII	RallyCross	16th
2013	X Games Foz do Iguaçu 2013	RallyCross	7th
2ames Los Angeles 2013	RallyCross	5th
2014	X Games Austin 2014	RallyCross	7th
2015	X Games Austin 2015	RallyCross	13th

Gravity Games Medals

Year	GRAVITY GAMES	LOCATION	Events	Rank	Medal
1999	Gravity Games I	Providence, RI	MTX Freestyle	1st
1999	Gravity Games I	Providence, RI	MTX Freestyle Team	1st
2001	Gravity Games III	Providence, RI	MTX Freestyle	1st
2002	Gravity Games IV	Cleveland, OH	MTX Freestyle	1st
2003	Gravity Games V	Cleveland, OH	MTX Freestyle	2nd
2006	Gravity Games VIII	Perth, Western Australia, AUS	MTX Freestyle	1st

Rally America Race Results

World Rally Championship (WRC) Results

NASCAR Race Results

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Cup Series

Daytona 500

Nationwide Series

Craftsman Truck Series

^* Season still in progress
¹ Ineligible for series points

Sports Car Racing Results

24 Hours of Daytona

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, Results are overall/class)

24 Hours of Daytona results
Year	Class	No	Team	Car	Co-drivers	Laps	Position	Class Pos.
2012	GT	56	AF Waltrip	Ferrari 458	Rui Águas Rob Kauffman Michael Waltrip	645	35	22

Rolex Sports Car Series

^* Season still in progress.
¹ Ineligible for series championship points.

Global RallyCross Championship Results

Supercar Races

Extreme E Race Results

(key)

Year	Team	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Pos.	Points
2024	Legacy Motor Club	Spark ODYSSEY 21	DES 1 6	DES 2 6	HYD 1	HYD 2	ISL1 1 C	ISL1 2 C	ISL2 1 C	ISL2 2 C	VAL 1 C	VAL 2 C	10th	16

^† Season abandoned.

Travis in Movies, TV, and Books

• Travis Pastrana, along with fellow motocross racer Jeremy McGrath, had his name used for the game Freestyle Motocross: McGrath vs. Pastrana in 2000.
• Travis and Jeremy also performed stunts in the 2001 Disney Channel movie Motocrossed.
• Travis appears as a hidden surfer in the 2002 video game Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer.
• Travis is a playable character and appears on the cover of the 2004 video game MTX Mototrax.
• Travis lent his voice to the 2007 game Colin McRae: DiRT and also appeared as a driver in Colin McRae: DiRT 2 in 2009.
• Travis co-wrote a book about his life called The Big Jump: The Tao of Travis Pastrana, which was published in 2007.
• A documentary about Travis, titled 199 Lives: The Travis Pastrana Story, was filmed by ESPN in 2008.
• Travis is featured in X Games: The Movie, showing his work with motocross and rally cars.
• Travis co-hosted Impractical Jokers at a Nitro Circus live event in 2016.
• Travis was a judge on the TV show AGT: Extreme, which started in February 2022.

Travis Pastrana's Family Life

Travis Pastrana's grandparents on his father's side are from Colombia, and his father was born in Puerto Rico. His uncle, Alan Pastrana, was a quarterback for the University of Maryland, where Travis also went to college.

On June 11, 2003, Travis was involved in a car accident when his Corvette crashed into a tree in Davidsonville, Maryland.

On June 4, 2011, during a live Nitro Circus show, Travis proposed to Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins, a professional skateboarder. They got married on October 29, 2011. Travis and Lyn-Z have two daughters. Their first daughter was born on September 2, 2013, and their second daughter was born on February 9, 2015.

See also

In Spanish: Travis Pastrana para niños